Serena Williams Memoir in Works After Tennis Icon Secures Two-Book Deal
Serena Williams is taking on an exciting new project — her memoir. The AP reports that Williams has secured a two-book deal with the Random House Publishing Group. Her first release from the deal will be an “intimate” memoir that will cover topics like her epic tennis career and her journey from childhood to her […]
Fantasia Thanks Whoopi Goldberg and Says Filming ‘The Color Purple’ Musical Was Healing Experience for Cast
Fantasia Barrino is taking some time to reflect on the contributions of Whoopi Goldberg to the legacy of the timeless film “The Color Purple.” The upcoming movie musical remake of “The Color Purple” film will be released in theaters on December 25. And in an Essence cover story, the cast of the film reflected on […]
Althea Gibson and Ida B. Wells Will Appear on New Quarters in 2025
The pioneering Althea Gibson and Ida B. Wells will be featured on new quarters released in 2025. According to The Hill, the legendary athlete Gibson and journalist and activist Wells are two of the five women to be featured on quarters that will be minted in 2025. The Treasury Department announced on October 17 the […]
Missy Elliott Donates $50,000 to Help Families Facing Eviction in Her Virginia Hometown
The city of Portsmouth in Virginia witnessed a heartwarming gesture from Grammy-winning rapper Missy Elliott on October 17. Back in 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin first recognized October 17 as Missy Elliott Day in Virginia. The inaugural day included a renaming ceremony and parade to rename McLean Street to Missy Elliott Boulevard. And to celebrate the […]
NCCU Alum Sherwin K. Bryant Named Director of Rice’s Center for African and African American Studies
Scholar Sherwin K. Bryant is joining Rice University as its new director of the Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS) and an associate professor in the Department of History. He is known for his work covering slavery, race and the early modern African diaspora, will join Rice University Jan. 1 as director of […]
Black-Owned North Carolina Bookstore Launches Mobile Bookshop in School Bus
A Black-owned bookstore in North Carolina is reopening in a major new way. The Urban Reader Bookstore, founded by Sonya Spencer, was once located at a physical location in Charlotte’s University City neighborhood. But when Spencer found that the location had became financially untenable, she crafted a plan to transition her business from a fixed […]
Senator Laphonza Butler Pledges Support to the Black Press and Black Communities
Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA) is sharing her commitment to supporting the Black press and the Black communities across the nation. Butler was recently appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to fulfill the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s term. During a Zoom meeting with publishers from the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Sen. Butler stressed her support […]
Spike Lee’s New Exhibition at Brooklyn Museum Celebrates Historic Filmmaker’s Legacy
Spike Lee is being honored with an exhibition at Brooklyn Museum exploring his extraordinary entertainment legacy. Titled “Spike Lee: Creative Sources,” the exhibition opened on October 7. It offers visitors an intimate glimpse into the sources that have driven Lee’s creative process. It features an immersive display of over 400 items sourced from Lee’s personal […]
The First Woman Pitcher in Negro League to Have DC Street Named After Her
Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, the pioneering woman who made history as the first female pitcher in the Negro League, will be honored with a Washington, D.C. intersection bearing her name. On October 11, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the intersection currently known as “Dave Thomas Circle” will be renamed “Mamie ‘Peanut’ Johnson Plaza” in tribute to […]
Fisk University Appoints Valencia Jordan as Its New Director of Athletics
Fisk University has appointed alumna Valencia Jordan as its new Director of Athletics, a role that brings her back to her alma mater. Jordan, a former volleyball standout at the HBCU, played for Fisk from 1981 to 1982, HBCU Buzz reports. Expressing her enthusiasm for the position, Jordan stated, “Being an AD is a dream […]